In a blast furnace, smelting furnace, reclaiming furnace, or similar facility for melting and refining metal ores, or scrap metals, a lance is utilized to inject a refining gas beneath the surface of a bath of the molten metal composition while it is held in a refractory vat or similar container. The refining gas bubbles up through the molten mass and aids in the removal of impurities from the molten metal composition. Lances made of metal pipe alone are consumed rapidly within the vat and need to be replaced on a frequent basis. To reduce the rate of lance consumption, the bare metal pipe may be wrapped with a web impregnated by a liquid refractory coating composition, which may reduce substantially the rate of consumption of the metal pipe.